Virtual Races and Winter Beard

A lot to recap from the past few weeks! I participated in a virtual half Iron bike/run, trimmed my winter beard, and set a new marathon PR.

9 miles into the marathon: Feeling strong

Virtual Half Iron Brick

What started as a friendly competition between me and my Wattie Ink family turned into me carefully planning a race. Many chose to complete the bike on the trainer and finish the run the next day, but I wanted to truly gage where my training was at. I don’t trust trainer miles, so I chose the best day of the weekend to get it all done outside. I stripped down my bike, swapped on race wheels, and drove out to a county road to avoid traffic and any forced stops. I also set some goals prior to competing, so here’s how I did:

Bike goal 22mph (under 2:33): I finished in 2:29 at 22.6mph – I admit there was probably a wind benefit.

Run goal under 1:30 (6:50/mi): I smashed my goal with a 1:22 at 6:15/mi! I was less than 30 seconds off my stand-alone PR, so it was a great effort off the bike.

Overall, I was extremely happy with this effort and proud of my run. The weather was perfect for fast times starting in the 40’s and only getting up to 55. Feeling pretty good about my fitness for April.

Winter Beard

6 months of work!

At long last my winter beard is gone, and Ty couldn’t be happier. Apparently, it “needed to go” so we could take some nice photos. The weather was finally starting to turn anyway, so I suppose it was time. A sad day indeed.

Breaking 3:00

Last weekend I wanted to break 3 hours at the IL marathon before it was postponed. My last attempt was slower than the 3:15:30 I ran at Ironman Wisconsin, so I still wanted to set a PR I was proud of. More important than breaking 3 hours, I wanted to see where my run form is at.

With bike support from both Ty and my brother Scott, I had access to nutrition and fluids whenever I wanted (definite advantage over an actual race). My training partner Jeff also ran the 2^nd half to encourage and push me.

Jeff Paul pushing me through the 2nd half: Wearing his new Fit After 40 tank!

Based on what I knew about my current fitness level, I believed I could hold 6:40s if I kept my HR below 160 for the first half and under 165 until I was 10K out. It was a perfect 55 degrees with 10-15mph wind, so the conditions were right.

Through 13.1 miles, I split 1:27 and was feeling strong. It wasn’t until mile 16 that I started to fatigue and have shortness of breath. Despite losing a little time into the headwind, I was confident I would get back to 6:40 pace on the return trip. With 5K to go, I was just under 6:40 pace and decided to push it home. I closed it in a 19:30 5K and a 6:00 last mile.

Final time was 2:53:01, so I can finally say I broke 3 hours!

Aside from losing the beard, it’s been a successful month despite races being cancelled. Motivation is certainly hard to come by, but seeing results at race effort gives me a boost.

Cheers!

Matt

What Drives You: Friends Edition

Not everyone trains for the same reason, so this post is about gaining perspective from others. Plus, you’re probably tired of reading about me anyway ;) For this, I called on some friends to share their why.

Here is what each of them had to say:

Brent Pease – It started as a personal project.  Just get in shape I told myself.  That was for a 10k, but then I bought a bike and did a triathlon.

I still was just chasing a small personal goal.  Then my brother came and watched me race, only he sat in his wheelchair and just watched.  After, he wondered out loud if people in wheelchairs could test their mettle too. That's when I realized that watching my brother all the time, watching him struggle and sit on the sidelines.  That is what drives me, that is what drives me every time the alarm goes off and I don't want to get up.

We all have a why, and sometimes that why is simple.  It's just waking up to do something you didn't think was possible.  To do something that scares you.

Other times that drive comes from deep within, it is your spouse, your kids, your parents, or even a lost loved one.  It allows us to enter into that "flow" state where nothing seems to enter or leave, we are fixated on the one thing in front of us.

I have been racing in endurance sports since 2007 and with my brother, Kyle since 2011.  Together we drive each other, and we push beyond what we think we are capable of, to a place we never imagined we would go.

To lean more about Brent and his brother Kyle, here is a link to the foundation they started together: https://www.kylepeasefoundation.org/

Brett Jackson – I have never been athletic. Skinny kid in school, always picked last for sports. I never thought of accomplishing anything with physical skill or discipline. Instead I focused on academics, earning multiple degrees and career advancements to satisfy the need to achieve. Fast forward to middle age; lack of exercise meant I put on way more pounds that I was meant to carry. Outside of a Turkey Trot, I had no interest in running. I did like bike riding and was terrified of open water swimming. After my sons decided to complete a Sprint Triathlon, the youngest (Matthew) got hooked. Watching him line up for a Half and then multiple Full Ironman races was both terrifying and inspiring. When I commented that I could never do it, he looked me in the eye and said I could. I decided to give it a try and set an audacious goal, Ironman.

The thought of toeing the line with my son is what keeps me going. That, and seeing my own progress. From not being able to swim a length to 4500 yards, stopping every 50 yards in open water to fighting the panic, and stopping at the end of the block to finishing half marathons. Matthew and my family have been there every step of the way, and the student has become the teacher. We have raced sprints together and there is nothing like it. The thought of racing the Muncie 70.3 with my son it what gets me up and training. After Muncie the plan is a full marathon, and then to decide if a full Ironman is in the cards. I’m not sure how far this 60-year-old body will take me, but I’ve already gone farther than I imagined. I want more. I want it all. I want to race an Ironman with my son.

Jeff Paul – When I first started training hard in 2009 to earn professional status in triathlons, I had NO desire to race Ironman...I thought it was a distance for the mentally unstable. However, as I realized I was better racing longer my mind was changed.  Despite more success at the 1/2 Ironman distance something about the challenge of Ironman...never knowing how the day will go regardless of how fit I was...kept drawing me back.  I desperately wanted to break 9 hours knowing only a handful of Iowans has ever accomplished that task.  It was a goal I never realized as I went 9:05, 9:14, 9:04, 9:17, 9:21...but the challenge of trying to do that had me training 20-25 hours a week for 3-4 years.  I wanted to motivate others to "Dream Big" through my own story...helping others to believe anything is possible if you set a goal and work relentlessly towards it.  

Now What? As my children have gotten older and I no longer have the time to train like I used to, my motivation for training and racing has changed.  I'll be turning 40 this year and have heard people talk about how hard it gets when they age.  I believe aging is more of a mindset than anything.  I want to prove that at 40 I can be more fit than at 30 even with less time to train.  I have big plans for this year including creating a logo, giving t-shirts to people who are living "Fit After 40", and creating a website.  I will kick off the "Fit After 40" campaign by trying to run my all-time fastest 800 meters at the Drake Relays in April in a Master's 800 competition.  I plan to run faster than I did 18 years ago as a college athlete.  

Everyone has a why, tell me yours